Iran war: US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed Iraqi militias
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The US military said it thwarted an "attempted surprise attack" by Iran that came after a days-long lull in fighting. Meanwhile, Israel's Netanyahu hailed an "excellent" meeting with Trump. Follow DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Huy1 The US and Saudi Arabia said the strikes were in retaliation for Iraqi militia attacks [FILE: Jul 21, 2026] Image: US Central Command/AFP Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know US military says Iranian ballistic missiles intercepted The confrontation comes after a days-long lull in fighting US, Saudi Arabia announce striking Iranian-backed militias in Iraq Netanyahu hails his White House meeting with Trump despite tensions Read below for the latest developments concerning the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Wednesday, July 29, 2026:
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07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 US, Saudi forces hit Iran-aligned targets in Iraq The US military says it has carried out precision strikes with Saudi forces against Iran-aligned militants in eastern Iraq.
US and Saudi fighter jets hit several weapons storage and logistics sites, US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said on X.
CENTCOM said the operation followed more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours. The US military accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directing the strikes against US troops and Saudi energy infrastructure.
CENTCOM said the attacks on American forces failed.
Earlier, CENTCOM said it had thwarted an attempted Iranian "surprise attack" involving several ballistic missiles fired at US forces in the Middle East.
All the missiles were intercepted, the US military said. While CENTCOM did not identify their intended target, US news outlet Axios reported that they were heading towards a US military base in Jordan.
The attack came despite President Donald Trump 's announcement that US strikes on Iran had been paused to give negotiations more time.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 IRGC fires missiles at US bases in Jordan Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired several ballistic missiles toward a US air base and Central Command center in Jordan on Wednesday morning.
It said the attack was in retaliation for US actions against Iranian interests.
"As long as threats against the Islamic Republic continue and the unlawful and hostile actions of US forces against our interests persist, resistance will also continue," the IRGC told Iranian state media.
"Threats by US officials and unlawful interference against our interests must come to an end."
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 Iraq's PMF militia says US, Saudi strike 'killed, injured many' Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-aligned umbrella of militias , said the US and Saudi Arabia struck its facilities across Iraq on Wednesday.
The PMF said the strike targeted its headquarters in Basra, killing and injuring a number of people it did not specify.
The PMF said the strikes were a "highly dangerous escalation" and violated Iraq's sovereignty.
The US has blamed Iran-backed militias in Iraq for recent strikes on American troops in the region and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Published 07/29/2026 Published July 29, 2026 last updated 07/29/2026 last updated July 29, 2026 Saudi Arabia says strikes on Iraqi militants in retaliation for earlier strikes Saudi Arabia on Wednesday confirmed it took part in US strikes on Iran-backed Iraqi militants, saying they came in response to drone strikes by Iraqi militants that attempted to target oil facilities in Sharqiya and Riyadh.
The Saudi Defense Ministry stressed in a statement on X its "right to self defense."
"The kingdom stresses it does not seek escalation but it will respond to any aggression it faces," the statement read.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed militants in Iraq The US military said it conducted alongside Saudi Arabia a series of strikes on Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeting Iraqi militias were in retaliation for strikes on US troops in the region and Saudi energy infrastructure by "Iran-aligned terrorists" in Iraq.
"US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours," the US military's Central Command said.
CENTCOM said the latest strikes against Saudi Arabia, which ended a days-long lull in fighting, were directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response," it said.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 READ: As US-Iran war rages, who's risking the Strait of Hormuz? Gianna-Carina Grün | Farah Bahgat Not as peaceful as it looks: During the US-Iran war the Strait of Hormuz has turned from shipping bottleneck to choke point Image: REUTERS The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the world's most dangerous waterways since March, when Iran began attacking shipping vessels as a pressure tactic in its ceasefire talks with the United States .
Still, though a significant proportion of the global oil trade bottlenecks at the strait, shipping traffic never completely halted.
With the United States and Iran issuing conflicting statements as to whether the Strait of Hormuz is open, DW analyzed public data sources to track how shipping traffic has changed during the course of the war and which vessels are still taking the risk of transiting the maritime choke point, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 Netanyahu, Trump cite 'positive and productive' closed-door meeting Netanyahu hailed his 'excellent' meeting with Trump Image: Maayan Toaf/GPO/Handout/Anadolu/IMAGO Israeli Prime…
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